Beyond Oblivion
by Gustpetal
Summary: No one knows where a cat goes when they die a second time, and the Dark Forest warrior Graywhisper is plunged into a dark, yet beautiful world when killed in the Final Battle between the Dark Forest and the Clans. Caught up in the middle of a bloody war, Graywhisper will have to choose between her past and the future. Sometimes, you have to die before you can start to really live.
1. Part One - Beyond

**Part 1 - Beyond**

_Graywhisper's pelt was almost invisible among the hundreds of Dark Forest cats, but the more vibrant cats could still feel the touch of her fur as they sprang through the forest. She glided over the fallen form of a rotting oak, her paw steps light and agile. There were advantages to being practically nonexistent As the group rounded a bend, before the huge throng of cats lied a deep river, bloated with blood. The forerunners plunged in, some even lapping up the dark liquid in their thirst for battle and death. Graywhisper did not pause like those few, muscling her way through without stopping. She ran out onto the opposite bank, hissing triumphantly as the horde of cats poured free of their dark home, and were suddenly on earthy, ShadowClan soil. _

_There was a screech of dismay, and Graywhisper turned to look at a dark tom, his eyes round with fear. She was amazed to see a living cat after so many countless moons in the Dark Forest, and stopped for a second to savor the moment, for after this battle, there could very well be no Clan cats alive. There was a battle cry, and the warriors of ShadowClan appeared, charging into the midst of the Dark Forest's ranks. Graywhisper was shocked, frozen as a tom slashed at her pelt. How had they known?_

_No matter, she decided, lunging for the tom. They grappled, her claws raking into his skin, before Graywhisper was suddenly torn away. He disappeared into the crush of pelts, and Graywhisper was jostled by the many bodies around her. There were fewer and fewer solid pelts in the thick as the battle progressed, and Graywhisper grimly acknowledged the fact ShadowClan was being pushed back. It would be over for the clan of her birth in a matter of moments._

_Sights blurred past Graywhisper as her group flowed into the camp. A queen wailing over her kit's unmoving form. A claw flecked with blood slashing into the throat of a warrior. A cat lunging to defend a pinned clan-mate. Then, Graywhisper was thrown back, star-lit and solid pelts alike rushing into the camp. Dark Forest warriors were overwhelmed as the endless stream of StarClan warriors leapt into the fray. _

_Graywhisper was bowled over, and found herself pinned beneath a tortoiseshell she-cat. She snarled, struggling to free her grip, but another she-cat, this one a silver tabby, appeared. Graywhisper stilled, her eyes widened as she recognized the latest cat. _

_"It did not have to be this way, Graywhisper," the silver tabby said quietly, her eyes sorrowful. _

_"I am no longer the cat who grew up beside you, Silvermoon," Graywhisper murmured solemnly, the fight going out of her. She'd run for so long, and this battle was going to force her to face her past. Graywhisper's eyes darkened with memories, and she sighed wearily. _

_The tortoiseshell hissed, tail lashing. "You got that right! You deserve to die a thousand times for what you did, you blood-thirsty traitor!" Graywhisper hissed reflexively as the she-cat's claws dug in, their shape edges leaving an imprint as blood flowed from the wounds inflicted beneath them. _

_"Leafcolor, please!" Silvermoon said. "Can you not forgive someone for something that happened hundreds of moons ago?" Graywhisper flinched, knowing that Silvermoon's pleas were in vain. Leafcolor had come with a vengeance this fateful night. _

_"No!" Leafcolor snarled, paw raised. Her eyes gleamed dangerously. Her voice became an ominous whisper as she leaned closer to her pinned prey. "Say hello to Burnthistle for us, won't you?"_

_Graywhisper's eyes widened in horror, and she writhed in desperation. Of all the things she had expected the vengeful to do to her if she was able to get her paws on her, this was the worst. "No, please! Leafcolor, I'll do anything!"_

_"Too late for that, Graywhisper! I'll never forgive you for what you did!" Leafcolor snarled, her paw crashing down. Silvermoon screamed, lunging for Leafcolor but it was too late. Blood spurted from the huge gash on Graywhisper's throat. _

_"No, my sister!" Silvermoon wailed as Graywhisper began to fade. Leafcolor snarled, shoving Silvermoon away so the last thing Graywhisper saw was her killer standing over her. _

_"So . . . so cold . . ." Graywhisper gasped, choking on her own blood. The world faded from her and she was gone, nothing more than the stain of her mortal wound on the grass as evidence of her existence. Silvermoon's grieve-stricken wails echoed through the camp, but were drowned out by the sounds of battle. The Dark Forest was being driven back, and ShadowClan triumphed. No one noticed the silvery StarClan cat weeped over a blood-stained patch of grass._

_ Graywhisper was no more. . . or was she?_


	2. when you finally wake up

**Well this next chapter is long over-due. I'm really sorry for taking so long to determine where I wanted to take the story. It's just, too many possibilities, but I think I like what I finally established. Next time, I'll think about it before posting the first chapter. Here it is, I hope you enjoy it. **

_It was endless, she realized. The colors faded _around her as her life force did, and blurred into a indiscernible mess. _The darkness was endless._

Graywhisper was no stranger to death. She'd witnessed it, given it, and had finally experienced it. This time was different, though. The first time, she'd only lost her body. Now, Graywhisper could feel her fragile, tattered soul fall apart. That never-ending darkness enveloped her, taking Graywhisper from the world she'd known and into one no one had ever returned from.

Then, suddenly, the darkness she had thought would last forever, would be her Oblivion, melted away into forest. Graywhisper took in a sudden, blissful breath, and looked around her. She was standing in a dark clearing, lit by moonlight and countless stars. A breeze, warm and soft, ruffled her fur. The gray she-cat blinked in surprise, unable to complete the journey from a dangerous battle to a peaceful clearing. She looked at her pelt, thrilling in the deep shade of gray that had returned to it, and the feeling of being alive again.

What the she-cat couldn't really understand was _how?_ How was she alive, and in possession of all her memories? Graywhisper had always theorized that once a cat died twice, they simply were born anew as a kit somewhere. It was apparent however, that this was not to be the case for her.

Which meant Graywhisper could be stuck in the middle of any situation, perhaps in possession of some other cat's body. Another cat that looked exactly like her . . . no. Graywhisper was sure that she was herself in this "third life". The she-cat felt very sure of this fact.

Well, she couldn't sit around and let things happen. Graywhisper tilted her head back and scented the air, wondering if there might be others nearby. She could detect a faint stench, meaning there were other cats nearby. Graywhisper sank into a crouch; whoever they were, she was not going to assume they were friendly. The gray she-cat slunk forward, passing into a clump of vegetation similar to the growth in ThunderClan's territory.

Abruptly, though, the wind shifted, flooding scents from ahead of her into her maw. There was a barely audible curse, and Graywhisper caught sight of amber eyes that hadn't been there before. The forest before her suddenly became a messy blur, swallowed by a dark shape, and Graywhisper was pressed back into the earth, pinned.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Her attacker snarled, and Graywhisper remained silent, still shocked at the dark cat's incredible speed. The cat had her on her back, so she could clearly see him now in the bright moonlight. A pelt of black made him stand out starkly against the more grayish trees, but what really caught Graywhisper's attention were his eyes. Blazing twin orbs they were, an awe-inspiring shade of amber. They seemed to glow against his pitch-black pelt, and Graywhisper drank in the sight of him in wonder.

"Answer me!" Graywhisper could feel claws slide into her shoulders forcefully, punctuating the cat's urgency. She internally shook her self awake; now was not a time to be a daydreaming kit! As she reoriented herself, Graywhisper narrowed her eyes at the attacker. "I have no idea how I got here! Honestly, I thought I was dead!"

"Dead?" The amber-eyed tom looked confused, and Graywhisper shared in his confusion. Wasn't everyone here someone who'd died twice? The tom laughed bitterly then, and loosened his grip. "Ah, I think I know what you're talking about. It's just, we've haven't had a _newcomer_ since I showed up."

"What do you mean?" Graywhisper asked, slowly getting to her paws as the tom let her up. He took a step back and gave her a sympathetic look.

"Most cats go . . . elsewhere." The tom frowned. "Maybe, I'll explain later." He looked over his shoulder nervously, and Graywhisper got the feeling she'd popped up in the middle of something. "Quickly, we have to go now!"

The black tom sprang forward past her, and Graywhisper, unable to discern any other possible choice in the matter, followed him. They darted into the forest, thick with strange plants and scents like nothing Graywhisper had ever seen. She did her best to dodge around the many obstacles, but she no longer held the agility and immateriality of her previously faded form. The black tom had quickly gotten ahead of her, and more space was opening up between them. Graywhisper was unable to understand how he managed to go fast without crashing into something. She put a burst of energy into her paws, determined not to lose him.

Suddenly, a strange scent filled Graywhisper's nostrils. Out of the corner of her eye, the gray she-cat thought she saw something bounding through the forest beside her. She couldn't afford to look, except in snatches. The gray she-cat resorted to focusing on her running, pounding into the earth with each stride. Somehow though, not even her greatest efforts were enough to keep ahead, and a heavy body crashed into her.

Graywhisper went sprawling into the earth for the second time, but now she could only turn her head to see her assailant. An orange tabby she-cat regarded her fiercely, and Graywhisper snarled. She got a hiss and a thwack to the head in answer.

A cry up ahead told Graywhisper that the amber-eyed tom had been intercepted. She looked up from the earth to see him fighting two other cats, one a burly, young-looking gray tom, and a long-furred white she-cat. The black tom proved to be an unusually crafty fighter, but so were the other two. Graywhisper grumbled internally upon finding that every cat here seemed incredibly fast and strong, making the shrewd Dark Forest she-cat look like a clumsy kittypet.

The scuffle was over in a matter of moments, the black tom defeated. The two cats quickly dragged him back to where Graywhisper's ginger captor held her firmly.

"What are we to do with them?" Muttered the gray tom aloud. He pushed the amber-eyed tom into the dirt, who struggled briefly before giving in.

"Take them back to camp and see what Sight wants to do with them," the ginger she-cat replied curtly. Graywhisper tilted her head to look back at the ginger she-cat, whose cool green eyes skimmed over her. _They hold green fires like Leafcolor's did, only colder, _Graywhisper thought. Something in her sighed at the thought of the tortoiseshell, and the gray she-cat bowed her head. What she would give to live again, rather than to be stuck in some kind of crazy after-life.

* * *

The three cats that had captured Graywhisper and the tom she was privately calling "Ambereyes" in her head were quickly joined by five others. Together, they marched Graywhisper and Ambereyes back to their camp. Graywhisper allowed herself to take in the sight of the moonlit forest. She was struck by how silent it was, quiet except for the cats who strode through the undergrowth. Graywhisper wondered if anything even lived here besides the cats.

Soon enough, the group approached a strange grove of trees. It appeared as if clusters of trees stood woven together, knit closely into one massive tree. These oddities all stood closely around each other in a ring, blocking the inside of the grove from sight. Graywhisper paused to look on in amazement before she was shoved forward roughly.

They moved around the ring until they camp to an area where the grove opened up into a gateway. Graywhisper looked round into it, and her eyes widened in amazement. A huge clearing, much bigger than Graywhisper had expected, lay within. The grove stretched around in a half-circle shape, before giving way to a stony slope. From the stone issued a sparkling waterfall that leapt down the face of the cleft before pooling out into a stream that ran across the clearing. Trees, huge trees, grew here, providing dens for the many cats living there. There were several sharing tongues over odd-looking prey, the existence of which disproved Graywhisper's theory that only cats lived here. Kits played with each other in the shade of a tree that had to be the nursery, and back by the waterfall, a glossy white she-cat perched. Graywhisper immediately got the feeling that this cat was the leader of this massive group, and sure enough, the patrol was steering she and Ambereyes towards her.

The white she-cat looked up as they approached and smiled sweetly. Graywhisper looked at her suspiciously, and then to the grim-faced warriors on either side of her. Something wasn't quite adding up.

"What have you brought me, Fox?" The white she-cat mewed, her gaze sliding over to the ginger she-cat that had tackled Graywhisper earlier.

"Two trespassers, Sight, most likely from the 'Oppressed'." Fox spat out the word "oppressed" as if it were something vile.

"May I see them?" Sight asked, craning her neck to discern the two cats who were not part of her group.

"Of course," Fox said, dipping her head. She shot a glare at the other cats, who parted to show Ambereyes and Graywhisper. The white she-cat stiffened upon the sight of Graywhisper's black-furred companion, and she bound down from her perch.

"_You,_" she hissed, all of her pleasantness gone. The she-cat's blue eyes flashed dangerously, and Graywhisper's ears went back.

"Me," Ambereyes said simply, unfazed.

"You traitor!" Sight snarled, tail lashing. "I gave you everything; a shelter, a future, my trust! And what did you do?" She stalked forward menacingly, until she was a hair's breadth away from the tom. "You betrayed me!"

Ambereyes' ears flattened against his skull, and he growled low. "_I_ betrayed _you_? You abandoned me, told me lies! How dare you suggest I'm the traitor?"

"Filth!" Sight hissed. "I could have given you a perfect life, but you listened to _Willow _instead_. _You deserve to suffer for your insolence!"

"Perfection isn't what this life is meant to be about, Sight!" The black tom said, shaking his head.

"That is where you are wrong once more, Ember," Sight said cooly. She turned to Fox, anger burning in her blue eyes. "Put him in one of the tunnels and have guards watching him at all times. I will have to ponder how he will be made an example of for a long time."

Fox dipped her head once more, and singled out two of the assembled cats; a silver tabby tom and a black and white she-cat. Together, they took Ambereyes, or rather, Ember, away. Graywhisper followed the trio with her eyes, watching as they took him along the cliff to where a tunnel opened up. With Ember going first, they all disappeared inside.

"Who are you?" Graywhisper looked round to see Sight staring intensely at her in confusion. She sensed the others were staring at her too, and a feeling of apprehension came over her.

"What is your name!" A flash of claws was all the warning Graywhisper got before she felt pain in the side of her face. Blood trickled down her face reminding her of her recent death. Graywhisper turned to glare at Sight, a low growl rising from within.

"I am . . . Gray," she stated simply. Something made her reluctant to give her full name to these strange cats.

"Gray?" Sight repeated, a funny expression crossing her face. "That's an . . . interesting coincidence. Why have I never seen you before, _Gray_?"

"I died only recently," Graywhisper explained simply. She refused to tell this cat everything, and still glared at her.

"A newcomer?" Sight exclaimed, surprised. "This forest hasn't had a newcomer since I came into power."

"What do you mean?" Graywhisper said testily, never very patient. She was growing increasingly frustrated with her lack of knowledge, and wasn't sure how she would receive it if Sight refused to explain.

"Well," Sight began slowly. A flicker of hesitation shone in her eyes, and Graywhisper could tell that, of course, this cat wasn't going to tell her anything. "This place is known simply as the Gray World, which is why I find your name interesting. It's the world between our first life and the unknown, Oblivion. Some cats don't go through this world, and pass on straight to Oblivion. We aren't exactly sure why. And if a cat does come here, sometimes they're born as a kit, and sometimes they appear as they did the day they died, except without the fatal affliction. Most that come are kits, but rarely there will be the latter, like you." Sight's eyes burned as she spoke the next words. "And like Ember."

Graywhisper frowned. "That's some of it, but there's still a lot more that I don't know." Internally, Graywhisper was clawing herself for admitting any kind of weakness, but she hoped to learn more before deciding whether or not to attempt an escape.

Sight smiled, the fire in her eyes fading. Her previous hostility towards the other she-cat melted away, replaced by a sweet, reassuring visage. "I see Ember hasn't had a chance to taint you with his lies. Come, we will talk more." She flicked her tail in dismissal of the other cats as she started walking towards the waterfall, calling back over her shoulder to the warriors, "See to it that you're fed!"

"Yes, Sight!" Fox barked, turning to lead her patrol over to where the fresh-kill pile had to be.

Graywhisper watched them depart, and then turned to look on as Sight made her way over to the waterfall. The white she-cat looked back at Graywhisper when she realized that she had yet to follow, and beckoned with a flick of her tail. Reluctantly, Graywhisper started forward, remembering how violently Sight's demeanor had changed upon seeing Ember. The white she-cat turned a sharp corner around the waterfall, and Graywhisper concluded there had to be a tunnel hidden behind the sheet of water.

The gray she-cat gingerly made her way around the heavy fall of water, letting her eyes adjust to the deepening darkness on the other side. A small deposit was revealed, big enough to comfortably accommodate a cat or two. Graywhisper could see that the place had already been furnished, a messy, used pile of moss off to one side and, further back, a natural well of water. Sight sat down in her bed of moss, curling up next to the well, and looking at Graywhisper pointedly.

"Well then, now that we are alone, you can ask away, Gray_whisper_," Sight purred, her eyes lighting up at Graywhisper's predictable shock.

The gray she-cat quickly composed herself after that one moment when she faltered, and stared at Sight in supposed confusion. "Who is this Graywhisper you speak of? My name is Gray."

"And it will remain that way," Sight said curtly, her purr cut off. She got up from the moss and strode around the edge of the pool. "You see, Gray, I have this structured society here in the Moon Forest, and I would like it to remain that way. The Gray World is meant as a haven where cats who have been neglected in their First Life have a chance to heal. After this process is complete, they moved on, into Oblivion. Or at least, as far as we know.

"However, there used to be no order in the Gray World, no structure or guideline. Cats roamed freely through the land, free of disease, heartache, two legs, and other predators. Prey was plentiful, and every day was glorious. And yet, conflict still rose up. Cats fought and died, and without being complete, they were simply reborn. No one can truly die here without being complete. So, what started as a grudge or a misunderstanding became full-scale wars. The Gray World's purpose was being lost, so I had to step in.

"I gathered a force of loyal followers who wanted peace as badly as I did, and together, we attempted to stamp down the violence. To our distress, the fights still continued. For every matter we settled, more appeared, and it looked like a lost cause." Sight continued to pace around the pool as she talked, before finally settling opposite of Graywhisper to look into its depths. "Then," she continued. "I found the Moon Forest. It was perfect, this place. Nestled in the mountains and thick with lush forest, this beautiful, remote forest was lost in a perpetual night, with only the moon and stars to show the way. Naturally, few cats resided here, so it was easy to take over the whole area and make it completely secure. Now, we can keep the rest of the world out, and everyone else in.

"Then, something I never had foreseen happened," Sight's eyes flashed dangerously once more. "A newcomer showed up. Of course, I welcomed Ember with pleasure, introducing him to the perfect life everyone has here. At first, he understood and accepted it, with vigor. He quickly rose up and gained a lot of respect in my group, and even I can say that he took great strides in helping this place become an even greater sanctuary."

Sight sighed, and looked up again. Graywhisper could see her eyes were clouded over with memory, and gray she-cat closed her own eyes, letting herself get lost in the past. Then, the white she-cat spoke again, startling Graywhisper back into focus with her words. "But that's enough of my past, Gray. Now, let's talk about yours."

The white she-cat's eyes seemed to hold a grave amount of sympathy, and Graywhisper tilted her head in confusion. "Why are you concerned with my past?"

"Everyone here has been wronged in their First Life in some way, but you, Graywhisper, took a different approach then most. I'm intrigued, I must say, and I also have to deal with another fact." Sight looked serious now, her eyes almost cold. "I'll suppose you're wondering why I've told you so much. Well, it's because you're a newcomer. If you aren't properly educated, you could pose a threat greater than anyone reborn as a kit with only snatches of First Life memories."

"Why would I pose a threat?" Graywhisper asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Like I said before, you remember everything about your past. You know what life was like before, and you are already set in your ways. You don't automatically feel the need to respect me or any authority here because you weren't raised in our ways." Sight's eyes flashed dangerously. "Most here would be destructive if they had their memories, and you and Ember are no different. Especially you."

Sight glanced down at the pool, and Graywhisper's eyes widened in shock when an image appeared in the pool: three cats becoming apprentices; a tortoiseshell, a gray she-cat, and a silver tabby. The tortoiseshell and silver tabby she-cats' eyes were shining with joy, but standing off to the side, the gray she-cat slumped her shoulders, largely ignored. "What—how?"

Sight smiles sickeningly. "Cats here have . . . enhanced abilities, some more extreme than others. I'm one of the stronger ones; I can see a cat's memories, and call up vivid images in water." She looked down, and the image changed. It showed the gray she-cat again as an apprentice training with the tortoiseshell. Both are sparring, when the gray she-cat manages to pin the tortoiseshell.

"I was always the better fighter," Graywhisper murmured.

The white she-cat across from her remained silent as another image replaced the second. Now, it showed the gray she-cat cowering while the tortoiseshell and another cat, a dark tabby, taunt her. Another image, the gray she-cat being comforted by the silver tabby. Then, the silver tabby dead, her body broken and bloody. The gray she-cat stands over her, mourning the dead cat while the tortoiseshell looks on in horror. The images begin to appear faster and faster to Graywhisper, and she takes a step back, moaning slightly.

"You have a dark past, Gray, and that's not even the worst of it." Sight's eyes were dark, and mournful. "It's what happens next as a result of your sister's death as well as many others'."

"I know," Graywhisper said quietly, not daring to look back at the pool.

"Which is exactly why you are so dangerous. Most cats would have killed you or exiled you with my foreknowledge, but I am kinder." Sight's voice was soft now, and assuring. "Come, and look in the pool again."

Reluctantly, Graywhisper turned, and looked down. The image was softer, happier. It showed two sisters, nuzzling each other happily. Then the gray she-cat hauling a rabbit back to camp, her eyes sparkling with triumph. The gray she-cat receiving her warrior name as the silver tabby got her medicine cat one. Another image showed the gray she-cat with a white tom with ginger spots, sharing some fresh-kill. Now, though, Sight began to show images Graywhisper wasn't familiar with. They weren't her memories, but the gray she-cat wished they were. It showed the same white and orange tom and gray she-cat with their tails twined, then the gray she-cat with kits. Next, it showed the gray she-cat being chosen as a deputy, and finally becoming leader of her clan. Images showed her the many deeds she could have completed as Graystar, saving her clan and watching her kits grow up to be great warriors.

"I can give the parts of your life that you love and cherish, and more," Sight whispered. "I may not be strong enough yet, but with every day I spend in the Gray World, my power begins to strengthen. Soon, I can make memories and fantasies come to life." She crept forward over the lip of the pool so that she held Graywhisper's hungry gaze firmly. "You can have a perfect life, Graywhisper. One where everyone will remember you, and you'll never fade."

She let that tantalizing statement sink in, and Graywhisper shivered with barely concealed desire. Sight purred, and flicked her tail. "All you have to do is join me, and with your prowess, we can get rid of Ember and his rebellion against my sanctuary."

**So, tell me what you think, if you feel like reviewing. Do you think my characters are realistic, and Graywhisper's personality is consistent? Do you like the world I made, or do you think Sight shouldn't have explained so much to Graywhisper right away? Is this making enough sense? Please let me know. **

**Also, thanks for pointing out the mistakes in the last chapter. I tend to get sloppy when I try my best to churn out a chapter in one day (it literally takes hours for me to write 4,000-some words), and I miss some things. I corrected what was pointed out, I think. Don't hesitate to point out mistakes in any of my stories in the future. **


	3. head in the clouds

**Hello, from Guestpersonanonymous. I figure by now you guys hate me for being lazy and never updating. Sorry. I hope I can make it up to you all somehow!**

**head in the clouds**

_You'd always wanted to last forever, the voice inside_ Graywhisper murmured. The final image Sight had shown her still lingered in the pool, and was just now beginning to fade. The gray she-cat tensed as the sight of her nonexistent kits looking up at their mother admiringly as they received their warrior names faded, leaving the water clear and pure once more.

Reluctantly, Graywhisper pulled her gaze away from the pool, and looked up at Sight. The white she-cat seemed pleased, her smile smug. The gray warrior of old wasn't surprised; Sight seemed to easily read Graywhisper, and knew what Graywhisper would choose to do. Even the thought of seeing the she-cat's shock wasn't enough to pull Graywhisper away from her decision.

"Of course," Graywhisper purred, false warmth flooding through her voice. She still didn't trust the other she-cat, no matter how much she sweetened her words. She would have to make sure to tread lightly, and get what she was promised.

"Good," Sight meowed, her pleasure obvious. "You will forget the "whisper" that is attached to your name, and learn to be Gray."

Graywhisper hesitated before dipping her head in assent, casting aside the suffix forever, causing Sight to frown. "Surely you do not care for that part of your name? It represents everything you didn't want."

"It was a long time before I came here," Gray said curtly, standing.

"Of course," Sight meowed, clarity in her orbs. "I forgot that in the clans, you have an afterlife." The she-cat made her way around the pool and looked at Gray seriously. "You'll have to earn my trust before you'll be allowed to roam freely through camp. I think I shall assign Fox as your guard until then."

The white she-cat padded towards the entrance and ducked around the waterfall. Gray made to follow her, but paused to look back at the pool. It didn't even ripple anymore, completely devoid of any evidence that it had ever sported the images that had hinted at Gray's past. The she-cat slumped her shoulders, and turned away. A part of her wondered just how safe it was to follow Sight. Only time could tell.

When Gray moved from behind the waterfall, Sight was already waiting with the ginger she-cat, Fox. The muscular cat curled her lip upon seeing Gray, her distaste barely concealed. Sight narrowed her eyes at Fox, and the she-cat reluctantly regained composure. "You will be in charge of making Gray a loyal member of our group, Fox."

The ginger she-cat's eyes widened in surprise. "But Sight, I have already organized another group to go with me and see if there any other newcomers. We can't afford to let them escape. And I certainly won't be taken off duty to walk a selfish newcomer around. Hasn't Ember's behavior taught you anything!"

"Assign the patrol a new leader then," Sight retorted. "You will be Gray's escort, and the sooner you two get along, the sooner you can get back to your regular duties, Fox. Gray won't betray us this time, not after our talk." The white she-cat's gaze pierced Gray's fur, and she steeled herself against flinching.

"Mark my words, Sight, you'll regret this," Fox growled, flicking her tail angrily. She then beckoned Gray impatiently, turning and running to the center of the camp. "Come on, then, _newcomer_."

Gray quickly spurred herself after the ginger she-cat, not sparing a second to look back at Sight. She found herself struggling to keep up with Fox, and the distance between them rapidly grew. The gray she-cat finally stumbled to a stop beside the ginger she-cat, who was impatiently flicking her tail. "I suppose you newcomers are as weak as your honor," Fox growled pleasurably.

"What do you know about honor?" Gray asked bitterly, still breathing heavily after her sprint.

"You are one to talk," Fox said coldly. "All kits here are taught that newcomers committed such heinous crimes in their First Life that they are forced to live with their memories."

Gray flinched, and Fox grinned triumphantly. The gray she-cat recovered quickly and narrowed her eyes. "Wouldn't that be dangerous, though?"

Fox shrugged. "No one can ever quite understand the Gray World." The she-cat's lip curled then. "But that doesn't mean you're wrong. I do so very much think you are dangerous, and tainted beyond Sight's help. We should deal with you like we will Ember now that we have him." The ginger she-cat eyed Gray coldly, and glanced over at the tunnel where Ember was being held prisoner. She turned and began padding towards one large tree.

Gray loped after her, fear prickling at her pads. "And what will you do with Ember?"

Fox laughed, bitterly. "You'll see tomorrow." The she-cat turned and angled her ears up at the sky. "Speaking of which, Sight tells me that you have two different parts to your day cycle. One when there is something called a sun in the sky, and one where there is only the moon and the stars. Here, there is no sun. But when the forest glows, it is daytime."

Gray looked around, tense with fear, and frowned. "The trees aren't glowing."

"That's because it's still night!" Fox snapped. The ginger she-cat thwacked Gray over the ear with her tail and paused before the tree. Gnarly, huge roots sprang out of the ground, creating a perfect, yet intricately made, shelter. A worn nest of strangely black and silver-colored moss lay in the den that had been dug. Gray poked at the moss suspiciously, and frowned at Fox.

"Why is it colored that way?"

Fox looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Gray's eyes widened as she remembered how Fox didn't know about her First Life. "Oh. It's just, moss is green-colored in the First Life."

The ginger she-cat frowned at Gray's comment, and looked at her strangely. "That's . . . odd." She stared at Gray for a few moments and opened her mouth like she was about to say something, and then abruptly shut it again. Fox frowned, and whisked away from Gray.

"Stay here," she said, about to leave the den.

"Where are you going?" Gray objected, starting forward. "You haven't told me anything yet!"

"I'm going on patrol," Fox retorted, ducking her head back in to glare at the gray she-cat. "Don't go anywhere!"

"Sight told you to stay!" Gray pointed out.

"What she doesn't know doesn't hurt her." And with that, Fox disappeared, leaving Gray to her thoughts.

The she-cat growled and paced the hollow, frustrated. She had to do more waiting, after moons upon countless moons of waiting in the Dark Forest! Gray snarled audibly, taking a swipe at the strange black moss. She glared and paced more, slowing as her thoughts began to center on her time in the Dark Forest. She sighed, and paused.

That day, the day she arrived in StarClan. She'd been so determined to make up for she'd done . . . and the fall, what had happened when she came had been awful. She'd ran into the Dark Forest in shame, broken and regretful. She would never see her sister, or _him _ever again. Or so she thought.

Gray closed her eyes, trying to remember the battle between the Dark Forest and the Clans. It had all been so chaotic, and she remembered her frustration when StarClan had flooded into ShadowClan, pushing back the Dark Forest warriors. She tried to remember if any had fallen before her, if there was anyway to determine how the battle would have ended.

Wait a moment. _Had_ others fallen? Were they here? What if they were!

The gray she-cat's eyes fluttered open, and she sprang to her feet. There could be dozens of them, running rampant in the forest! She would have to tell Fox! The she-cat skittered out of the den, looking around for the ginger she-cat, but she was no where to be seen. _She must've left already._

A new plan formulated in Gray's mind. She would find them herself! If she managed to convince them to join Sight's group, the other cats might begin to trust her. With all those Dark Forest warriors to back her and the others, they might be able to eliminate whatever threat Ember's allies might pose. If she could pull it off, the reward would be great! First though, she would have to find a way to sneak out of camp.

Gray scanned her surroundings, her ears angled forward. Lush grass filled the hollow, and trees seemed to completely surround the cats. Groups of cats strolled the area, chatting absent-mindedly, eating fresh-kill, and grooming each other's fur. Some hung to the edges of camp, walking stiffly without talking, and their ears pricked forward. Gray got the feeling that these cats were the ones in charge of guarding camp. She turned, straining to find the entrance when she spotted two trees leaning towards each other over a space that led outside the camp. Beyond, Gray could see little, for the outside forest seemed to be shrouded in darkness.

She stalked forward now that the entrance had been located, and saw two guards sitting silently on either side of the open space. Gray wondered what she should do, and decided that she ought to pretend. Abruptly, she straightened her shoulder and began strutting confidently towards the guards, picking her feet up in the manner she'd seen in the cats who'd been patrolling the perimeter.

When she got right up to the entrance without resistance, Gray began to feel confident, and pressed onwards. Abruptly, though, she slammed into an invisible barrier. She heard a chuckle from the guard on the left, and she silenced him with a glare.

"State your business," the other guard, a brown tabby, said duly, looking like he wanted to take a break.

"Fox assigned me a patrol," Gray said, not missing a beat.

"Which one?" the tabby asked.

Gray paused, and twitched her whiskers. Hmm, why not tell the truth. "To search for more newcomers."

The tabby stared at her and then nodded. "Alright, you're free to go." He closed his eyes in something akin to deep concentration, and Gray got the feeling that the invisible barrier was no longer there. She was tempted to stretch a paw out to test for it, but that could raise suspicion. Straightening herself again, she marched forward.

There was no barrier. Gray passed through and on into the midnight-forest. She felt her eyes adjust to the gloom, and looked with interest at all the vegetation. Trees twisted into the air, and silver and black vegetation stood around her feet. Gray stiffened when she felt something creep up her leg, and was shocked to see a vine wrap itself around her paw, growing extremely rapidly. Even when she snapped it's stem from the ground, it continued to twist up her leg, covering it in spirals. She stared at the strange plant for a few moments and then continued on.

Murmurs and gurgles interrupted the silence on occasion, causing Gray to turn her head anxiously. Strange scents flooded her nose, and she wondered how she was ever going to find the Dark Forest warriors, if they were here. Her stomach groaned, and Gray realized for the first time in hundreds of moons, she was hungry. The she-cat wondered what sort of prey animals scurried along in this forest, and she decided to not think about what strange animals might occupy this world. The prey back at camp had seemed normal enough.

Grey continued on for a while, and began to grow frustrated when she was met with no signs of life. Her pads burned, and her flanks heaved with the effort to draw breath, so the she-cat decided it would be a good idea to take a break. She collapsed in the undergrowth, and was piqued to see that the vine was still tightly wrapped around her foreleg.

The gray she-cat had to admit she was utterly lost now. The forest stretched on around her for what seemed like forever, without break. She sighed, and wondered how likely it was she would ever see Sight's group again. Gray had no idea how big this world was; for all she knew, it stretched on into forever.

Suddenly, a gentle, blue light caught her eye. Gray spun around and saw a huge tree that she must've missed before. It stretched up twice the length of all other trees, and then some. At its great, gnarled base the she-cat saw the wood was alight with a soft, silver-tinged glow. Gray stared, fascinated, as the blue-silver seeped into the wood, and began to travel through the tree. Slowly at first, creeping through the bark and snaking along every branch and root it came across. Then, it quickened, rapidly spilling it's light until the whole entire tree glowed with the brilliance of a star.

Then, from where the roots ended, silver, gold, green, red, orange, yellow, purple, and blue bled forth into the undergrowth. All around her, tendrils of soft light sprang up, spreading from plant to plant, tree to tree, until every where Gray looked, the forest glowed. Suddenly, she was aware of the vine pressed against her fur warming, and she looked down to see it had taken on a silver glow. The whole of the vine lit up, and to Gray's shock and amazement, the glow went into her fur. Wherever it went, her hairs prickled with a pleasant warmth, and Gray gasped as the glow warmed her face. Her senses exploded with color, and the gray she-cat realized in a panic that she could no longer see anything but silver.

Then, it fell away, and Gray realized with a jolt that she felt _strong_. Like, she could lift an entire tree by herself, like she could run forever. The she-cat shifted eagerly, her senses sharpened.

A rustle, so tiny and slight that Gray might not have been able to hear it without the effects of the strange glow, reached her ears. The she-cat spun, her muscles tense as a dark tabby body suddenly lifted and hurtled toward her. The she-cat blinked, and almost laughed at how easily she could move out of the way. Gray shifted, and the cat went flying past her. A growl of frustration registered in her ears before the gray she-cat lunged, moving faster than she ever had before.

The tabby, who'd been about to stagger to his feet, let out a cry of surprise when she slammed into him. Gray purred with pleasure, and swiped a claw at his ear. Skin tugged against it, and a thrill passed through her body when her paw came free with a splatter of blood. Below her, the cat let out a hiss of pain, and struggled violently for freedom. To the invigorated she-cat though, her opponent's efforts were feeble.

She spun him around with a sharp yank of his shoulders, wanting to see the face of her would-be assailant. Gray stiffened at the familiar ice-blue gaze that met hers, and a name sprang to mind. Hawkfrost.

Apparently though, her once-superior wasn't as shocked, or maybe didn't even recognize her, because he took advantage of her shock to land a stinging blow to the side of her face. Gray snarled, and pulled the tabby down in the dirt. He wasn't going anywhere!

Abruptly, a body slammed into Gray, and then another, and the she-cat spun to meet her assailants. A tortoiseshell she-cat, and a dark tom, both of which she identified as Mapleshade and Brokenstar. The she-cat didn't know whether to be excited to see some familiar faces, or terrified that she might end up outmatched.

The two cats didn't give her a chance to make a decision, advancing quickly with harsh blows. They moved in synchrony, pushing Gray backwards. As great as she felt, there was no way she could beat them both. Claws tugged at her back, gouging into her flesh. Hawkfrost again. Hot, stinging blood trickled down, and the she-cat got the feeling the Dark Forest group had planned their attack before making their presence known.

Hawkfrost latched onto her shoulders, and the she-cat struggled not to be pulled to the ground. Once she was distracted, Brokenstar leapt, pushing down on her body. Gray fell backwards, Hawkfrost scrambling away just in time. Mapleshade moved forward, almost lazily placing a claw over Gray's throat.

"Now then," Mapleshade said, a smile of pleasure spreading across her features. "Tell us what this place is, and how we might get back to where we were."

Gray growled, frustrated. "Don't you recognize me?"

Mapleshade looked at her quizzically, and then clarity dawned on her face. "You're Gray-Graywhisper, right?"

Gray nodded vigorously. "I died earlier in the battle, so I must've gotten here earlier as well." She frowned as realized what the appearance of the Dark Forest leaders meant. "Did the Dark Forest lose the battle?"

Hawkfrost growled from behind her. "My _brother _is probably leading his clan of kittypets now."

"Do you know how to get back?" Brokenstar cut in bluntly.

Gray shook her head, getting to her feet as the dark tom moved off of her. "No, I haven't learned much. But listen there's this group of cats—"

"Now!" A voice cried, and suddenly, glowing bodies leapt out from the undergrowth. Gray looked around her in shock, barely registering how the group of cats had softly glowing fur and tendrils of vegetation wrapped around their body in some manner when a body slammed into her.

For not the first time, Gray flew onto the ground, her back stinging painfully where Hawkfrost had wounded her. Glancing up, Gray was met with the familiar face of Fox, who looked furious. "What-how? You aren't supposed to be out here!" Gray thought she looked almost afraid, but it was quickly replaced by anger once more.

"Who are these three?" Fox yowled angrily, gesturing to the three Dark Forest warriors, who'd been pinned to the ground with ease. Mapleshade was struggling madly, cursing the white tom who had a large paw firmly on his chest, Hawkfrost had his ears pinned and a growl in his throat, and Brokenstar looked almost thoughtful, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"They are newcomers," Gray explained hastily, wriggling out from the ginger she-cat. She found it was much easier to resist Fox now, and quickly got to her feet. "I went looking for them so—"

"So you could turn them against us?" Fox bristled, her face contorted into a snarl.

"No!" Gray cried, her ears going back. "I wanted to recruit them."

"Hah!" Mapleshade cried out. "I follow no one; I only want to exact vengeance on StarClan for taking the only thing that mattered to me!" The tortoiseshell's eyes were twin fires as she spoke, and the white tom above her was beginning to look alarmed.

Fox hissed, looking at Mapleshade disapprovingly. "See, _Gray_? You newcomers only bring discord. Your memories are full of hatred and darkness, and we do not wish your taint to spread to us!"

"I was _trying _to help!" Gray retorted, lashing her tail. Fox was an idiot if she didn't realize that these three influential Dark Forest warriors could be great allies!

Fox curled her lip, but said nothing. She turned to one cat who was not occupied. "Go tell Frost that we've found some, and that we'll bringing them back to camp."

The cat, an elegant-looking golden tom, nodded and sprang away into the glowing forest.

"Come," Fox said. The patrol circled Hawkfrost, Mapleshade, and Brokenstar, and Gray watched them march the Dark Forest warriors to camp. Gray turned to Fox, realizing something.

"Fox! Wait! There might be others!" Gray leapt forward to follow the she-cat, and found herself easily able to keep pace. Fox seemed to notice this too, and was miffed. "I'll handle that! You aren't supposed to be out here!"

"So you can keep me weak and helpless?" Gray spat.

Fox twitched her whiskers. "You're an idiot if you think I can trust any newcomer based on Sight's first impressions."

Gray opened her mouth to say a retort, but found herself unable to make a comeback. A triumphant gleam lit up Fox's eyes, and the she-cat turned away. "You'll be put through training tomorrow." Then, she leapt forward to join the front of the patrol, leaving Gray behind. The gray she-cat padded after, thoughtful. Hopefully, she would be able to learn more about this world tomorrow, whenever that was.


	4. as the sky falls

**AN: And here we are with another chapter which, as always, is very much belated. Someone hit me with a frying pan so that I can increase my productivity. **

**Thank you all so much for the reviews! They're more than I deserve when I seem to update, at the best, once a month. I'm really glad you like the concept, and appreciate my use of the canons. Do not refrain from letting me know if you do not think I express them properly, or my writing gets a bit rushed. Heh, at least the long time I take to write each chapter gives me time to mull over the plot. Hope you like!**

**as the sky falls**

_Rain was falling lightly when Gray stirred, and for a beat,_ she was back in the past, still not knowing what it was like to die. The scent of pines would have flooded her nose, and she'd feel pelts pressed against her as she stirred. They'd claimed to be her friends. Her past paranoia, her hunger to last forever was prickling at the back of her mind, threatening to surge forth after all these moons.

She shifted from the nest, stepping out from beneath the tree and arching her back as cold, wet droplets fell smoothly down her pelt, seeping into the ground. Oh, that pine-scent couldn't just be a figment of her imagination, could it? The gray cat stood silently in the rain, not daring even to shiver as more droplets forged their path through her hair. When had she last felt rain on her? Gray thought she'd never been so happy to see storm clouds swirling above her, blocking out the mysterious pricks of light that pierced the "sky" of the Gray World.

"What are you doing?" Gray drew away in shock, when suddenly, she was met with a pair of deep amber eyes boring into hers. She gaped at Ember, whose black fur shone with rain.

"What are _you _doing?" Gray retorted, squinting at the black tom in disbelief. "Didn't they imprison you in that tunnel?"

Ember smiled darkly, tilting his head to the side. "They hold the power to keep me here, no matter how much I want to escape, so it doesn't matter whether I'm in a tunnel or sitting out in the clearing. I thought you would have been smart enough to figure that out. Or are you just that ignorant of the forces at work here?"

"I'm not ignorant," Gray said. "Do you expect me to suddenly accept a world that doesn't follow the rules of nature I've lived by for moons?"

"You'll have to," Ember said, twitching his whiskers. "Or you'll be left behind in the past." He leaned closer to her, and Gray could see the water dripping off of his nose. "Do you really want to prove them right, and fall prey to your memories?" He tilted his head again, his amber eyes secure on hers. "I'm still wondering what you were doing, by the way."

Gray flattened her ears back, stepping away from the black tom. Her mind whirled with questions, and most prominently, she wondered how to respond to his words. "I was . . . enjoying the weather."

"Was that supposed to be a joke?" Ember asked, twisting his head to follow her movements. He chuckled, but Gray caught something deeper in his eyes. He looked at her like he was experiencing _deja vu. _She flinched, and then internally cursed herself for showing weakness.

"It's been a long time since I've felt rain," Gray explained, hesitant to open herself up to the tom she knew next to nothing about. Everyone was a stranger here. Inevitably, she'd have to put her trust in someone, shift towards one belief. But for now, she stood tall, and alone, despite any promise she made to Sight. Ember was a mystery to her, a part of this huge puzzle that she desired to put together. She didn't even know the shape of the pieces, least of all with Ember. What part did he play? What was his past? She tried to search him with her eyes.

Ember kept her gaze steadily, unflinching. Gray got the feeling he was the one doing the searching, the uncovering, and she abruptly looked away.

"I heard they are taking you and your . . . friends . . . hunting today," Ember said smoothly. He blinked up at the sky, and sighed heavily. Gray looked at him curiously, but he flashed a smile, covering up whatever emotion he'd been portraying a beat before. "Lovely weather for that sort of thing, isn't it?"

Gray smiled at him, genuinely. "Right now, it feels like the best thing in the world." She meant every word.

"Might as well enjoy it then before morning comes," Ember said, his gaze flicking over the trees lining the camp. Gray twisted her head to follow his eyes, and gapped at the huge tree leering out of the distance.

"I-I saw that tree yesterday. It was the first one to glow," Gray exclaimed with surprise.

Ember nodded, his amber eyes flicking over her rain-streaked face. "Light shines in the most unusual ways here in the Gray World. The Moon Forest here has one of the more alluring, mysterious versions of light, so I've been told."

"You've never been outside the forest?" Gray asked in surprise, her blue eyes round. Privately, she thought the muscular, lithe tom had a lot of experience here. Apparently she had been wrong.

The black tom shook his head briskly, water whirling around his fur in a shower. A few droplets prickled at Gray's fur, barely noticeable when compared to the rushing of heavy, slick droplets battering down and rushing off her pelt. Ember followed the path of water on her fur. "No, Gray." It had been the first time he'd said her name. "I'm much "younger" than most here, in fact. Practically all I know is from others."

His water-sleek paw darted out, catching the river of rain sliding down Gray's pelt. The she-cat almost pulled away in surprise, but the touch was steady, warm even. "For example," Ember said, his voice soft. "Where this area receives light from life, I was informed that water was the source of light in another." He glanced up at her, and for the first time since Sight's group found them, Gray could see into his soul. She saw mostly fear, and saw despair, grief, and regret swamped in it. However, where his amber eyes had shown with dark, mysterious humor before, Gray could see something else glowing in those entrancing orbs. _Hope. _

Ember continued to hold her gaze, keeping her there as a rush of emotions and memories flooded her, shifting closer so his paw was propped firmly against her. "I hope to be able to see it one day, you know."

The she-cat thought she might collapse then and there, tears joining the rivulets of water coursing down her fur. She shook though, and closed her eyes, the memories stabbing her with every flash of color, every drop of blood. Red, everywhere; on her fur, on her claws, in her gaze, on the ground, staining the bodies. Even in Burnthistle's voice. _You're cursed Graywhisper, _embrace it._ Let the blood flow, take what's rightfully yours. The forest will _never _forget you. _Gray shuddered, and recoiled abruptly when Ember leaned against her.

"Don't touch me!" She hissed, her eyes rolling back into her head. The fur along her spine was standing up straight, and she flexed her claws, trying to keep the storm inside from pouring out. Ember withdrew in surprise, his frame tensing at the sudden hostility from the internally warring she-cat. Gray barely noticed, but locked in a sea of confusion and sudden fear, she lashed out at the only living thing around. "I-I know what you really want!" the she-cat snarled, the darkness inside her urging her along blindly.

"G-Gray, what's wrong?"

"Don't touch me! I know what you're thinking, but I'm _not _a body! Go find some other she-cat; I'm not going to fall for your tricks!" The she-cat was barely able to keep the _red _back, the blood off her claws, but something told her to not attack this tom, this predator. Gray snarled, her icy blue eyes narrowed to slits.

"W-what? Gray, what has gotten _into you_?" The black tom was looking at the gray she-cat with confusion, and a flash of fear in his eyes. Gray smirked cruelly; he should feel scared, when she has such dark power at her paws. All she had to do was falter, and it would come surging forth . . . but, she couldn't let it out! For whatever reason, she _had _to keep the red back! This tom wasn't like the others . . . like the others. Gray's eyes widened, and the ice in them faded as what had once been a noble warrior regained full control of her body. She gasped, panting, and looked at her unsheathed claws with growing horror. No . . . no, it couldn't still live inside her, could it? She'd thought the curse had died when she did!

"Oh, StarClan, Ember, I'm so, so _sorry_," she back-pedaled rapidly, skittering back to the sanctuary of her den. "I thought-I thought that it was _gone_. StarClan, this-just, stay away from me!" Having completely lost her composure after the near-control that the red had gained back on her body, the gray she-cat bound back into her den, panting heavily. She needed to think.

Fox shifted in her nest, and looked at Gray's sodden fur with disapproving green eyes before collapsing back into sleep. Gray blinked at the ginger she-cat's sleeping form, and then began licking her chest fur. The she-cat thought silently about Ember and her conversation with him, and the accusation the red had prompted her to make. Ember hadn't really acted as more than an acquaintance since they'd met, and even when he moved closer to her there had been no predatory tone in his voice or the way he moved his body. Rather, it had been friendly. She closed her eyes, and wondered what he must be thinking. Being anything more than an ally had probably never crossed his mind until Gray grew defensive. For all Gray knew, there was some she-cat in his life that he'd been separated from when he'd been captured alongside her. Guilt burned her pelt.

For the rest of the evening, Gray flickered between shallow, half-dreams and being faintly awake. She shifted in her nest constantly, her fear scent filling her nostrils and chasing her through her sleep. Burnthistle taunted her at every turn, and the bodies slowly began to pile around her. Silvermoon's was always first, the earth-shattering point in what started out as a fairly pleasant dream. Then, the despair came, the fear. Dark creatures stalked Gray at every turn, forcing her to shed blood, always blood. The bodies piled around her, and then the dark creatures changed. Angry, vengeful ShadowClan cats came down on her, cursing her every breath. Gray's screams for mercy went unanswered, and the last image she saw was of an orange and white tom, who had once looked on her with kindness, now stared in horror at the dying monster lying before him.

Sweat lined the she-cat's body when she finally, truly woke up. Light streamed in through the den, and flickered in beads inside the hollow itself. Gray let out a cry of relief, collapsing back into the wet moss feeling more exhausted then when she'd gone to sleep.

Abruptly, someone kicked her in the head.

Quick as a flash, Gray twisted around and grabbed the leg before it had a chance to retreat, biting down instinctively. Her blood pulsed with adrenaline, and fear drove her claws deeper, beyond the ginger fur into flesh. A thrill shot through her at the cry of pain. And then another kick, this time one much stronger than anything Gray had experienced, sent her flying. She fell back against the other end of the hollow, the breath flying out of her, and her back smarting from where the glowing wood bit into her flesh.

Before her stood a very angry, very irritated ginger she-cat. Fox held her right backleg in the air, and Gray couldn't stop the prickle of satisfaction that flooded her at the thought she'd managed to surprise Sight's henchman and injure her leg. She also noticed the glowing plant entwined around Fox's leg, and quickly replaced the look of satisfaction for one of pain. Better not tick off the powered-up she-cat anymore.

Fox looked smug at her pained expression, but it quickly flicked back to the typical I-hate-you-newcomer-flith gaze she always used exclusively for Gray. "So you're finally awake. Your fellow newcomers have been lounging around waiting for you, and I had to have extra guards watching them after that crazy tortoiseshell managed to knock one out and get to the entrance before anyone could catch her. Wipe that smug grin off your face, she got a lucky break; it won't be happening again. Now come on before I do something I won't regret."

The smile was still firmly plastered on Gray's face when they walked outside. The forest was glowing brightly, but the light was diluted by the thick streams of water still pouring down. Mapleshade, Hawkfrost, Brokenstar, and a few other cats who had to be watching them were all sitting under a tree with an intricate canopy of leaves like nothing Gray had ever seen before. The rain slid down the thick, impenetrable canopy and down to the curious looking roots that stuck out of the ground like stakes just outside the canopy, collecting all the water as it streamed off. Below the canopy, the group of cats were quite dry. Gray looked around, and saw similar trees with great clusters of cats gathered beneath them.

Gray and Fox strode out into the rain, only having to go a short distance before they were under the thick canopy. Hawkfrost's ears perked up at the sight of them, and stood up abruptly. Brokenstar shot him a meaningful look, but the dark tabby tom ignored him. "Are we going now?" he asked, fixing Fox with a stare. The ginger she-cat dipped her head, and Gray wondered where the sudden patience and politeness was coming from.

"Yes, but I'm not going with you," Fox said, grinning hugely. Gray felt her blood go cold, and she got the sense that Fox was extremely happy about this fact. Surprise, surprise. "Snow and Roar will be taking care of you. They're the hunting mentors, currently."

Abruptly, a white she-cat with silver flecks of fur, and a huge, burly brown tabby and white tom appeared, treading towards them through the rain. In tow were three smaller cats of apprentice size. One was a ginger tabby she-cat, another was a brown and white dappled she-cat, and the last was a dark gray and white tom. Snow had a smile that didn't reach her eyes as they dipped under the canopy, rain-water flooding off the group's fur.

"Right on time, it would seem," she said, her voice clear and meticulous. The huge tom beside her was silent, assessing the four newcomers with green eyes. The brown and white apprentice, as Gray would guess, pricked her ears, and tilted her head excitedly at them.

"I've never seen a newcomer before! Do we really get to go hunting with them today, Snow? Can Fox join us, too, please?" she exclaimed, looking up at the white she-cat with eager eyes.

"Yes Brindle, we will _attempt_ to teach the newcomers how to hunt, but you must remember to address me as Preyteacher Snow and remember Battleleader Fox's full title as well." Gray couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at the odd names. _Preyteacher? Battleleader? Just how complicated do these cats need to be?_

The apprentice, Brindle, ducked her head, although the excitement shining in her eyes was still apparent. "Yes, Preyteacher Snow."

"Good," Snow purred down at the she-cat. She flicked her yellow gaze upon the newcomers, and frowned. "I suppose I will have to introduce myself and the others to these cats?"

"I already told them you and Roar's name," Fox explained. She looked round at the three Dark Forest warriors, and pointed her tail at each of them. "This is Maple, Hawk, and Shadow." Gray blinked up in surprise at the new names, Brokenstar's especially. _He must have chosen to name himself after his Clan, _she thought. Gray considered it odd when ShadowClan had driven the tom out after his tyrannical rule, but then, she'd been rejected too, and she still ached for her home.

Fox turned towards Gray, her green eyes narrowing. "And this is Gray."

"Charmed," Snow said in a voice that suggested she wasn't. She glanced up at Roar, who had remained silent so far. "Roar is my partner, and these three are our charges. The chattermouse is Brindle, as you probably already heard. And this is Lily, and Cloud." The ginger tabby and dark tom each nodded as they were introduced. Brindle fidgeted under the newcomers' attentions, looking absolutely giddy.

"Oh wow, newcomers!" Brindle exclaimed, unable to hold herself in any longer. "I bet you can teach us all sorts of tricks!"

"Brindle!" The ginger tabby she-cat shouted, her eyes wide with horror.

Snow glared down at the pair of them. "There will be no _trick-teaching. _Sanctuary cats are not lowly rogues from the First Life, and we will certainly not learn their ways!"

Gray barely contained her anger. _She thinks we are rogues? _At the same time though, the she-cat was surprised by what Snow had just called the group of cats that Gray had been thinking of as Sight's followers up until now. Mentally, she filed the name away for later. _Sanctuary cats. _

Mapleshade, or rather Maple, wasn't as capable of controlling her emotions. She stalked up to Snow, ears going back. "We are _not _rogues. We are clan cats, following an honorable code." The tortoiseshell's voice sounded bitter as her tongue slurred over the mention of the code. Gray couldn't help but sympathize with the she-cat, who'd had everything taken from her because of the code.

"What you fail to mention, Maple," Hawk began, straightening. "Is that we did not actually uphold that code like those other weaklings."

"And look where you ended up!" Gray couldn't stop the words from slipping out of her mouth, and the three other Dark Forest warriors looked at her in surprise.

Shadow huffed disdainfully. "Oh yes, one has to remember that Gray has the excuse of a _curse._" He laughed derisively.

Gray bristled. "I would not make light of prophecy if I were you."

The dark tabby tom opened his mouth to bark back a retort, but Snow cut him off. "She's right. Power flows through the Gray World, and according to Sight, seeps through to the First World. Everything when it comes to Power, has a purpose. But that something a mage can talk about to you. We are hunters today, and you will serve the Sanctuary by providing food."

With that, the white she-cat sprang back out into the rain, and towards the entrance. The three apprentices skittered after her, but Roar lingered, looking at the four newcomers pointedly.

"Come," he said gruffly. Something told Gray she better listen to the tabby and white tom, and she turned briskly after Snow.

* * *

Rain seemed to glow in shafts of light all around Gray as they slid down the trunks of trees, and wriggled free of the canopy. She was in a constant state of half-wet, half-dry. Not a whole lot of rain reached the forest floor, but there was enough to wet her hair as it struggled to dry. She enviously eyed the glowing plants wrapped around Roar and Snow's legs, craving the power and warmth that had coursed through her when she had had one wrapped around her leg the other day.

Brindle bounced along ahead of her, oblivious to the danger any of the four newcomers could pose to her. The little she-cat seemed to be a cheery soul, but sacrificed her intelligence for optimism and energy. Gray thought it would be nice to be a kit again, living a world full of sunshine and promise, but knew there was worth in the experience and skill she held.

The gray and white she-cat was aware at some point that they seemed to going uphill, and she wondered if they were scaling one of the mountains that encompassed the Moon Forest. The vegetation began to thin out, and the air started to have a wisp-like, misty quality. It was harder to see for great distances, and the group of nine cats huddled together. Rain poured down openly on them, but to Gray's surprise, she still felt a thrill at every drop that skipped against her.

Stone jutted out on either side of them, and they were about to reach the point where they would have to make a winding path up the mountain when Snow and Roar finally halted. Gray crouched, and then, from an alcove in the stony crevices of the mountain, a gray shape darted out. Quick as a flash, Roar leapt, silently bringing his huge paw down and snapping the creature's spine. Snow was beside him, and gripped the thick neck of what looked like an overlarge, thick legged squirrel to Gray.

"So is that what we are hunting?" Gray asked, eying the huge thing warily. It was bigger than the apprentices, and twice as long.

"In a way, but it's really meant as bait," Snow said in a nonchalant way, having released her grip on the dead creature's neck, but her eyes were glinting with gleeful anticipation. Gray thought she might throw up the contents of her breakfast, some horned weasel from back in the forest, and she widened her eyes in horror. Beside her, she felt Maple's fur fluff up.

"Bait?" Hawk choked out, horror evident in his tone. Shadow showed the least response to the white she-cat's comment, eying her fiercely.

"Oh, yes," Snow purred, and ducked around to nod towards where a stone cleft jutted out of the mountain face. "That will be a perfect place, but we will have to do some maneuvering." Gray eyed the narrow shelf of stone, their only path from where they were standing on a steep slope of stone, to the cleft. Some maneuvering indeed; one misplaced paw, and a cat would go tumbling into the trees below. Her stomach twisted.

The white she-cat moved, prey gripped by the neck, dragging the carcass along the shelf. Brindle glanced at Gray reassuringly.

"She has to carry the weight of a mountain-skitter, this will be a breeze in comparison!" She exclaimed, turning to fall in line behind Roar, Lily, and Cloud.

Gray nodded at the small she-cat's words, and let them guide her paws forward onto the narrow walkway. For the first time, she was really aware of the wind whipping her fur up, and threatening to toss her body off the shelf and down to the ground. Rain pelted her as she took each heart-stopping step. It felt like an eternity until the gray she-cat finally collapsed onto the wide expanse of stone that was the cleft. Maple, Hawk, and Shadow had similar expressions of relief when they got off behind her.

"Alright," Snow said, calling them to attention. Gray panted heavily, adrenaline still coursing through her. She watched with inherently wide eyes as the white she-cat dragged the gray mountain-skitter out into the open, and then pulled back abruptly.

"Get down!" she ordered, shooing them towards the safety of an overhang and the stone jutting out on the expanse. Gray scrabbled behind a boulder, lying flat. Her gray and white fur would blend in perfectly out in the open. She prayed for the safety of Maple and Flower, with their orange fur, and looked out into the misty sky. Rain poured down, but no animal seemed about to reveal themselves at the presence of food. Not yet.

Gray fought the urge to move as the moments crept by. Her muscles complained of the weight they had held for what had to be a while now. Her back burned, and rain formed a slippery walk all around her. Gray gritted her teeth, ignored an itch, and willed for their prey to appear.

An ear-splitting screech split the air above her, and it was all Gray could do to not throw her head back and look at whatever it was. Thankfully though, she didn't have to wait more than a moment until the screamer streaked into her line of vision. A seemingly glowing bird with fiery plumage and huge size tore down from the sky, leaving a faint trail of light in the rain. It plummeted down and collided with the carcass harshly, golden claws tearing into flesh.

"Attack!" Snow yowled, leaping out from behind Gray. Roar was right beside her, Cloud and Brindle not far behind. The white she-cat tackled the fiery-colored bird, claws entangling with feathers. An almost musical cry escaped the bird, and it struggled to fly away. Before it could shake Snow off though, Roar was on its back, snarling as fiercely as a TigerClan cat. Cloud circled around, and then darted towards the huge bird's tail, tearing the feathers from it. A melodic scream of pain echoed through the stormy sky as the bloodied feathers came free.

Gray crouched on the rain-slick stone, her eyes round with wonder and mild horror. There was a certain beauty to the huge, fiery bird, and Gray felt the slightest twinge of regret at having to kill it. Surely, the mountain-skitter would be good enough?

Even as the rebellious thought entered Gray's mind, she shook it off. Something was telling her that the notion was not her own. It held a certain . . . glow to it, and was displaced in her mind. Perhaps, it was some sort of Power? The gray she-cat flattened her head against the hard rock, eying the bird with a newfound wariness. The memory of a voice echoed in her head, telling her that beauty can be deceiving.

Brindle's part in the hunt was next apparently, the agile brown and white cat darting over the slippery stone and deftly pulling the mountain-skitter away. Gray sprang up, ready to help the apprentice who barely managed to tug the corpse along. She sank her fangs into the scruff of the creature, and yanked, giving Brindle a pointed gaze. The she-cat gave her an appreciative look, and pulled her jaws away, ready to spring back and help.

Gray watched the brown and white apprentice turn and leap over to the escalating struggle. She tugged the body of the mountain-skitter towards the safety of the overhang. She could feel the gazes of the three Dark Forest warriors on her back, but she didn't dare look back. The bird in front of her raged to escape, to kill, beady amber eyes ablaze with fear and fury. Snow and Roar had moved down to pummel at the bird's wings, tearing out feathers left and right. Cloud moved to secure a position on his back, now that the apprentice wouldn't have to worry about the bird being able to fly away with him anymore. Flower slipped past Gray, and the she-cat wondered if the ginger tabby had been waiting for the kill.

Rain poured down over Gray's face as she watched the ginger tabby creep forward. Brindle was huddled on the rock ahead of her, a mossy brown and white boulder, slick with water. Flower's ears angled forward against the downpour, waggled her hindquarters, and leapt. Gray's breath caught in her throat as the ginger she-cat claws scraped along the bird's chest. The angry creature wasn't completely harmless though, even with three cats pinning it down, and lashed out frantically with golden claws.

Flower's scream of pain was brutal, sharp and uncouth in comparison to the fiery bird's call of fury. She tore away from the flesh-rending claws, blood pouring out on the stone. Snow cried out, and the bird seemed to take advantage of the situation to lunge again. Flower went flying, and it was all Brindle could do to intercept her path across the dangerously slippery stone. The two she-cats scrabbled for purchase on the stone, and Gray let out a screech of warning, launching her body over the dead mountain-skitter.

"Gray, dispatch the phoenix!" It didn't take a genius to figure out that Snow must've been talking about the fiery bird, but Gray ignored her anyways. Brindle's foot went over the edge of the cleft.

"Gray!" The brown and white apprentice screamed. The other hind leg went spinning into the air.

"Brindle!" The she-cat called back, shoving Flower away from the edge. She could hear the terrified breaths of the ginger she-cat as she moved past her. Brindle's body began to slide backwards off the cleft.

"I've got you!" Gray said desperately, leaping forwards. Her paws secured themselves around Brindle's foreleg, and the she-cat looked at her with wild eyes. The two cats were still moving, still sliding. Gray's claws became unsheathed and she desperately back-peddled.

"Please!" The exclamation was barely out of Brindle's mouth before her paw slipped between Gray's. The gray and white she-cat got one last look at Brindle's terrified blue eyes before they disappeared from sight, replaced by torrents of rain. A final scream pierced the air before it was cut off by a heart-wrenching thud.

Time stopped for a few moments. Gray looked listlessly at the pouring rain, not really seeing it. Her chest was heavy with the thought of the sight that would greet her when she looked over the ledge. Around her, the silence continued, thick and full of death. Gray didn't dare move a muscle. All she could think about, all she could see, was the eager, bright gaze Brindle had fixated on her and the three Dark Forest warriors when they'd been standing under the tree. Gone now, her fur soaked with blood.

A scream, painfully musical, dared to break the quiet. Gray spun, seeing the phoenix that still struggled to free itself. Ignorant of Brindle's death. When it was all _its _fault. Once again, red creeped into her. Filled her vision, quickened her blood, awakened the fire. And Gray _welcomed _it. She let out a screech, tearing forward with speed that she'd only matched under the influence of the glowing plant, or, of course, with the aid of red.

A sickening thrill flooded her as her claws found the phoenix's flesh. She tore in mercilessly, feeding off of its siren's cries of pain. Gouges scored its flesh, tearing the feathers from it, and allowed the blood to flow, _red _and thick. Gray let out another screech, and lunged through with claws secured to fasten her fangs around the throat of the majestic beast. To her immense pleasure, the music stopped. Eternally. But the death of the beast was not enough, not for the red. Not when it had been denied for so long. Gray's claws scored the slowly cooling flesh without abandon, the red feeling pleased at every new outlet of blood.

"Gray! Gray! Stop, you've done enough!" The red grew angry as a heavy body secured itself around Gray, and the she-cat struggled wildly. But Snow wasn't about to relent, and she managed to get the wild-eyed cat off of the phoenix's body.

"It killed her! It killed Brindle!" Gray managed to gasp out, twisting away from Snow. The white she-cat relaxed her grip, now that Gray was no longer mutilating the bird's body, and Gray scrambled away. Roar stood over her, eyes narrowed.

"Idiot!" he said, thwacking her with a paw. Gray let out a gasp, and stumbled away, flicking water out of her eyes. The rain washed out the blood on her matted fur. Roar looked down on her contemptuously. "Did Sight teach you nothing? There is no eternal death here!"

Gray looked on him with confusion, and then her eyes widened with clarity. Brindle wasn't dead? She twisted her head, abandoning any thoughts of the other cats as she scrambled back onto the ledge, looking down. She had to know.

Below her, far below, the body of a brown and white she-cat lay crumpled lower on the mountain. Her back was twisted unnaturally, and the gleam of white bone pierced through her back. It was obvious, even from far above and with water sliding down Gray's head, that the dead she-cat's skull was broken, as was most every bone in her body as her limbs twisted in a painful way around her body. Gray shut her eyes, wishing she hadn't looked.

Something warm stirred her fur, and the gray she-cat dared to open her blue eyes again. An aura from far below tingled at her flesh, so strong she could feel it from this far away. Despite herself, Gray let out a soft breath of surprise. Far below, Brindle's body was _glowing._ She was surrounded by a pleasant pink light, fringed with gold.

The next happenings were extraordinary and horrific. Gray was faintly aware that the other cats had joined her at the ledge, perhaps alerted by the warmth of Power. Her attention was focused on Brindle's body though, which was moving slowly, shifted by some unseen force. The bone went back in, her limbs reasserted themselves, and the dent in her head reshaped so that her skull was whole again. Then, with a gasp, Brindle blinked her eyes open.

"She's good, now let's get the phoenix down!" Snow said, drawing back from the ledge. From far below, Brindle shakily got to her feet, and looked around herself. Gray could almost taste her fear. She looked at Snow angrily.

"She just _died_, Snow! One doesn't just breeze through that!"

"I never thought a newcomer of all creatures would show compassion," the white she-cat said curtly. "You know nothing about our world, Gray, how things work. Until you do, you will do as _I _and your other superiors tell you to do so!"

Gray growled and flexed her claws. "You are not my superior." She straightened herself, and spat at Snow's feet. "I'll do what I _want_!"

Snow looked at her with furious yellow eyes. "Why you filthy little rogue, I'll show you a thing or two about superiority!"

She lunged, and Gray deftly side-stepped her. The white she-cat realized her mistake just a moment before she went skittering over the ledge. The gray and white she-cat couldn't hide the smirk as she looked down at the battered body which had joined Brindle below. "You slipped," she said with a barely concealed purr.

She looked back at Roar, and the two horrified apprentices. The huge tom made no move to push Gray over so she could join the two cats below, but regarded her with something akin to respect. Gray got the feeling there was more then there appeared when it came to the brown tabby and white tom. She nodded at him, and placed a paw on the phoenix's body. "Let's get this bird back to camp."

**Thoughts? We have a bit more revealed about Gray's history, and some examples of the thing I refer to as Power (because I'm too lazy to think of something more creative :P). Update coming your way in a month or so, probably. **


	5. we'll feast on bones

**Heeeeey, my lovely viewers. How's it all going? Well, it's been especially good for me, what with Christmas break, and all. I also feel pretty good because I've finally gotten to watching more of a TV series I was introduced to, like, a year ago. I was really into it, but I wasn't able to watch more episodes until now. So yeah, I'm really happy.**

**Review reply time!**

**Amberflame805: Thank you, I really appreciate the reviews you always give all of my stories. **

**Spiderweave: Thanks, I find that I enjoy writing this very much! **

**Amberpool: No, Snow and Brindle aren't dead, technically. In the Gray World, you can only die "permanently" by two methods; Forcing and Leaving. Sight already explained in an earlier chapter I believe, that a cat cannot leave the Gray World until their spirit is balanced again. Creatures who come to the Gray World experienced some sort of suffering in the First Life, and until their spirits are mended, they will keep coming back to life after "dying" in the Gray World. More information on this later. **

**Guest: I've never read Rebellegirl's What if the Dark Forest Won?, but you made me curious, so I might check it out later. I'll admit, the idea for this story was inspired by another story asking the same question this story does: "What happens to a cat after they die for a second time?" That story followed Spottedleaf, who woke up in a world that bends to the imagination of someone living there. The story didn't continue after a couple chapters, and I was intrigued enough to try making a story inspired by it. I'm glad you're liking the story!  
**

**Warning: This chapter contains foxes. Snarky, arrogant foxes.**

**we'll feast on bones**

_The trek back down to the camp was a slow and tedious one. Gray's _common sense was slowly flooding back to her, and she wondered with a growing sense of horror what she'd done. No doubt Snow would have something to say about the her rebellious behavior. Would Sight reconsider their deal? The thought made Gray pause, which caused Cloud to bump into her legs, mouth full of phoenix-wing. "Wath ith!" He growled.

Gray side-stepped, and allowed the younger tom to pass her by. Flower was supporting the right wing, and Roar dragging it by the neck. There was the sound of paw-steps behind the gray she-cat, and she turned to see the warriors coming slowly from behind. Maple was engrossed in the task of getting down the mountain, and Gray was able to pick up on the tortoiseshell she-cat's complaints. Shadow and Hawk had their heads together, no doubt trying to formulate some plan to get away.

"Tell me again why you're bothering sticking around these weirdos, _Gray_?"Maple hissed, amber eyes narrowed as she sprang onto the shelf of rock that Gray was perched on. "I don't know about you, but I want out of this pool of crazy as fast as possible."

Gray bit her lower lip, teeth sliding. "That's my business."

"I wouldn't trust any of this lot if I were you." With that, Maple crouched and then continued her descent down the mountain. The gray she-cat watched her recede away, Shadow and Hawk soon passing her as she sat. _I wouldn't trust any of this lot if I were you. _Heh, that was a load of dung coming from a she-cat who had wheedled a cat under her wing only to destroy everything he cared about for her pleasure. But then, Gray had experienced similar strife like Mapleshade's when the both of them still hadn't known what it was like to die. The way _he _had slipped away from her to another she-cat, the way _she _had gone beyond Gray's reach, leaving her all alone . . . and the way Leafscatter always received the attention and honors that should've been hers. And what had that led to? _Murder_.

Gray closed her eyes, and it occurred to her that the rain was beginning to lessen now, the slightest feeling of warmth tingling on her pelt. The smell of blood unwashed from her pelt reached her nose, striking a note in her mind. Maple could be right, may be right, but she couldn't afford to let this chance slip away from her. She could go back, reverse the past, undo the mistakes she'd made that had ultimately led to her own mother spitting on the dirt before her when she sought redemption. _"Too little, too late, _traitor_!"_

Her steps resumed, eyes narrowed against the buffeting wind which had only decreased slightly as the cats lost altitude. Her muscles burned from exertion, the group's quest for food having, ironically, sapped her strength. The gray she-cat had all too soon left the exposed stony environ and faced Snow again, the blood ringing the white she-cat's face a stark reminder of her momentary rebellion. The preyteacher looked murderous, yellow eyes mere slits. Gray was only faintly of Brindle watching with round green eyes as Snow slowly approached the gray she-cat. Leaning in, the white she-cat hissed, "One more toe out of line, and I'll personally see to it that we drive you out!"

"Aren't I already supposed to be a prisoner?" Gray said dryly. "Really, you would be doing me a favor by setting me free." She was bluffing, but Snow didn't know about Sight's deal. The white she-cat probably thought that her leader just thought Gray could be potentially useful, which was why she was having her trained.

Snow growled, her teeth flashing. A knowing grin spread across her lips. "There are worse things than being in a prisoner in the Sanctuary."

Gray felt a spark of uncertainty bloom inside of her chest, and she lifted a paw warily, ears angling back. "Oh?"

"I suggest you shape up your attitude, or I might just end up persuading our guests to have a taste of cat!" Snow flicked her white tail, and then turned back into the forest. "C'mon, the newcomers can shoulder the phoenix now."

_Guests? Is that why we're bringing such a huge bird back to the camp? _Gray glanced at the large, reddish-orange bird with a growing sense of horror. What kind of guests would the Sanctuary be playing host to that would need a big bird like this to be fed, and could kill and eat cats? Hadn't Sight said this forest was safe? Things were strange here . . . was it possible that cats weren't the only intelligent life?

"That was a close one!" Brindle chirped, bounding up to Gray's side. "I really thought you were going to get it! What exactly happened up there after I fell off?"

"There was a bit of a misunderstanding, and Sight miscalculated her jump; it isn't important," Gray said quickly. She glanced down at the young she-cat, the rare shade of concern growing. "Are you alright?"

"I was going to say the same thing," Flower said hastily, butting in. She flashed Gray a glare, and put her tail on Brindle's shoulder. "You fell pretty hard."

"I fell off of a cliff," Brindle said, wrinkling her nose. "That's going to be a hard fall no matter what. As it were, I . . . I'd rather not go phoenix-hunting from now on."

"You'll get over it, Brindle; I did." Gray turned, and saw that it was Cloud who had spoken. Despite his encouraging tone, the black tom looked grim, as if he was thinking about his previous experience with death. "The First Death is always the hardest," he mewed firmly.

"You've died before?" Gray exclaimed, surprise evident in her tone.

"There were some trespassers on our land, and I was on patrol. We attempted to capture them, but they escaped, and I got off badly," Cloud explained. "It was a while ago, when I just became a learner. I-I don't remember it that much." His whiskers twitched upon his uttering the last sentence, and his eyes flashed with the slightest hesitance.

_He's lying, _Gray realized. But then, that shouldn't be so surprising. It had to have hundreds of moons ago when Gray died for the first time, but she could still remember it clearly, the claws tugging at her throat, the brambles of the bush that had caught her digging into her back. Spiteful green eyes that sent her to her death . . . just like her second death, only Leafcolor had amber eyes. _No one forgets such a vengeful gaze, no one forgets the pain._

The gray she-cat wondered what he could be hiding when a warmth rubbed up against her paw. The vegetation around them was faintly glowing, and the small clump Gray was currently standing in had come to life and was brushing against her. A tendril had already curled around her paw. Reluctantly, the she-cat began tugging on it, not wanting to hurt the plant, but at the same time, thinking she'd rather not get into more trouble with Sight then she was already going to be in. Suddenly, the green-glowing plant became a black-red and the burning sensation in Gray's paw increased.

"Ouch!" The she-cat hissed, biting down on the plant. "What in the world!"

Flower, who had been walking away, turned around. Her eyes widened at the color of the plant, and she moved abruptly, clamping her jaw down on the plant's base. Gray gasped when the burning abruptly disappeared. "Ah, thanks. What was that?"

Flower panted, and backed away from the plant, which had become a sickly black-green. "We need to burn it. I'll take it back to Phoenix immediately!"

"But Flower, won't you taint yourself if you touch it for too long?" Brindle said anxiously.

"I'm willing to take that risk," Flower said grimly, taking the plant in her jaws, and tugging until its roots come free.

"Will someone tell me what's going?" Gray snapped. These apprentices were just ignoring her!

Flower turned, and glared at Gray. Cloud's eyes narrowed. "I think I would like to know the same thing. How is it that you have so much dark energy in you?"

"Prohly cuhz she ah ewumer!" Flower spat through her mouthful of plant.

"I-I don't know!" Gray exclaimed, cursing her stutter. She skittered around the younger cats, casting a glare at them before running to catch up with the others. If she thought she had a million questions before, the gray she-cat's head was nearly filled to bursting. Would anyone ever give any substantial information about this place? Just thinking about it all made her have a headache. Maybe Ember could tell her later . . .

But she'd rebuked Ember, hadn't she? _Nice going, Gray, what a way to support your only ally! _The she-cat thought bitterly. But, was Ember really her ally. He was a newcomer, right? But so were Hawk, Maple, and Shadow, and Gray knew all too well they were only trustworthy when they had the same goals in mind. And if Gray were to help him escape? What would happen once they were free? Would Ember turn on her?

Ugh, there was that headache again. Maybe Gray shouldn't think so much about what she didn't know, and review the facts instead. The gray she-cat ruminated through her brain. _Ember didn't want to get caught by Sight's group when we first met, Fox doesn't trust him, and Sight __doesn't trust him, so that's pretty clear. Sight offered me a deal ensuring pretty much everything I ever wanted. Ember betrayed Sight, and he probably had an offer like mine, too . . . _Gray wanted to believe that Sight could get her what she wanted, but what if Ember was right, and the she-cat wasn't to be trusted. Besides, if Sight had a power like that, wouldn't she just do the same for all her followers? No, there was something that Gray hadn't been informed of yet, and she was determined to figure out what it was.

* * *

There was a lot of activity in the camp when Snow's hunting group finally returned. Iralis was relieved, and more than a little disappointed. Sight had said she had wanted to talk business, hadn't she? The young male licked his white chest fur, feeling a bit smug at all the wide-eyed looks these tiny cats were giving him. Yes, they ought to fear the leader of one of the fiercest gangs of foxes on this accursed world.

Sorra fidgeted beside him, her ears twitching, and angling backwards every other breath. Iralis frowned. His younger sister was unused to the harsh lifestyle that their family was accustomed to, and the scarred male hoped that this trip into the Moon Forest would help her see how he ran things. On his right was his second, Tonur. If a gang of foxes were like a family, than Tonur was Iralis' brotherly soulmate. The two often thought in synch, and sometimes, it was hard to tell who was really in charge. Iralis trusted him more than anyone in the whole of the worlds.

Speaking of which, this white she-cat, who had managed to manipulate several Power Holders and a whole gaggle of her species into becoming her supporters in a world where no one trusted each other, was an awfully suspicious character. Iralis would have ignored the offer he had gotten altogether knowing he was dealing with the likes of her if it weren't for the benefits of getting a refuge like the Moon Forest. Absolutely no one came through this area of land, all too respectful of the huge group of cats that had a respectable concentration of Power Holders who could blast their butts to the Next Life. He'd even heard rumors that Sight had managed to learn how to Force, but then, Iralis heard many things. It was part of his trade.

Suddenly, a white shape darted out from behind the waterfall at the back of the huge camp. Iralis' eyes darted to the white form, and noted the glowing trace of lines on her body. The mark of her Power, a noticeably long one. Hmph. Show off. The lines along her white fur were a vibrant golden, speckles of shining Power dotting her body along the main lines. The she-cat's eyes were closed as she struggled to secure the display, before opening her eyes. While normally blue, Power had a tendency to change things. Now, they were a warm, golden color, like honey.

"Just in case you get any funny ideas," Sight purred, her voice carrying a faint hum. The golden lines faded, Sight having lost her concentration. Her eyes became a normal blue again.

"Ha," Iralis said. "You think I would come here without my own Power Holder?" He shifted his glance at Sorra, who flinched at the sudden attention, but obediently closed her eyes, allowing the cyan lines along her body to flare up momentarily.

Sight flicked her tail, showing no wavering of control. "You of all creatures should know I hold one of the greatest concentrations of Holders on this world. Your companion would be no match for all of us. But, we're not here to talk about who here has the better force. Snow and her group of hunters went out earlier to fetch you a proper feast. Snow?"

Another white she-cat appeared, her eyes yellow. She dipped her head respectfully to Iralis, and stepped away to show the phoenix her group had managed to catch. Three cats that bore a distinctively strange aura dragged the bird over. A tortoiseshell she-cat glared at the fox vehemently before moving back to join the growing crowd, and hissed. The dark tabby was less evocative, and quickly followed after the she-cat. A third cat, a tom with icy blue eyes, was content to simply shoot Iralis a glare.

"Who are these cats?" Iralis exclaimed, undeterred. He eyed the phoenix with an air of surprise. An impressive catch, no doubt some of the hunting party had to regrow a few limbs on the way back. Iralis tried to hide his impressed state, continuing to speak. "They don't smell of the Shadow World."

"They are newcomers," Snow explained curtly. "We have yet to teach them proper discipline." She flicked her tail and smirked, padding up to phoenix's carcass. "We will talk more about them later, for now, they are to be detained." Abruptly, a group of cats advanced on the three Iralis had seen, and a gray she-cat that was sitting next to them. "Now, we have a feast!"

A cheer went up from the assembled cats, and soon, all were digging into the huge pile of prey that had been stocked up for this occasion. Sight climbed up onto her rock above the waterfall, content to eat a waterbird. A large circle formed as each cat selected their prey and sat down in a ring connecting Sight's rock to the group of foxes and their prize. Iralis sat down to feast alongside Tonur, and made no protest when Sorra did not join them.

* * *

"Hey! We're with you guys now, aren't we?" Gray hissed, struggling to break free of the circle the cats chosen to guard them had formed. A blast of energy curled into Gray's chest as she slipped free momentarily, shoving her back into the center alongside Maple, Hawk, and Shadow. Hawk continued to struggle as well, and Gray was just about to get up and try to score another blow as the guards continued to march them to the tunnels in the cliff face, when Maple laid her tail on her shoulder.

"Struggle is pointless," the tortoiseshell she-cat hissed. She chuckled derisively. "Did you honestly believe they accepted you? We've only been here a couple days!"

Gray frowned. "But Sight made me a deal! She must know I would never try to run away if her offer was even slightly possible!"

"What did she offer you?" Maple exclaimed, even as a spark of clarity entered her eyes. "Of course. You were always the weakest, weren't you?"

"Don't you want another chance, too?" Gray exclaimed incredulously. "I know you, Mapleshade, I've been in the Dark Forest way longer than any of you!"

Maple hissed. "You're being played for a _fool_, Graywhisper. It's just like the Dark Forest here, making deals and looking out only for your own interests. Do you honestly think Sight is just going to give up whatever wealth of information you are so you can romp back to Sunshine and Butterfly Land?"

"Shut up!" Gray hissed, her ears angling back. She felt tempted to hit the other she-cat then, but one of the Sanctuary cats kicked her forward, forcing her to move faster. The gray she-cat dared to snarl at the offender, and turned back to the tunnel, her eyes widening as the darkness within swallowed them. The ring of cats dissolved into a single file, guards separating the Dark Forest warriors from each other. Gray shivered at the sudden chill that settled on her fur. She was vaguely aware of the walls closing in around her as her whiskers dragged against them. Occasionally, the breath of the cat behind her brushed against her tail.

Suddenly, after an eternity of padding down, down, down, a glowing light came into view ahead of Gray. Wondering if the tunnels were arranged like the Moonstone Tunnel back in the forest, the gray she-cat padded forward. Abruptly, she was in a huge cavern alit with floating balls of fire. They seemed to float around aimlessly, and Gray had to duck under one to follow a guard ahead of her into the adjoining cavern. Her eyes widened upon seeing what awaited. The dark brown tabby tom she'd seen earlier was resting on a flat-topped stalagmite, his eyes closed with concentration. Beside him was a golden furred she-cat, her eyes also closed. Yellow lines glowed along the brown tom's fur, while the golden she-cat was adorned with red. Slumped in a small pocket-cave was a familiar dark shape.

"Ember?" Gray exclaimed, daring to pad forward. Suddenly, the brown tabby tom's eyes flew open, and Gray froze. She was unable to move, as if there were invisible weights pressing around her. The brown tabby tom had glowing yellow eyes that he trained on Gray, and the she-cat felt an icy drop of fear slide down her spine. Somehow, she had a feeling that this cat had the ability to exert so much pressure on her to make her crumple up like a leaf. She held her breath, not even able to widen her eyes as she stood frozen.

"I advise you not to kill Sight's prize," a voice called from behind Gray. A golden tom came into view, his gaze following the brown tabby tom. Reluctantly, the light in the tom's eyes faded, leaving them a leafy green. Gray gasped as the force on her body suddenly disappeared, and she crumpled.

"Ah, sorry, Gray, I wasn't able to say anything before you moved." Gray flicked an ear as she heard Ember's voice, and she jerked her head up. The black tom was curled up in the pocket cave, having turned around to look at the assembled cats. "Evening, queens."

An older-looking, dark gray tom snorted, but was flicked in the face by a paler gray she-cat's tail. "We're not here to chat, Ember," she explained cooly. The she-cat turned to the two cats who were evidentially Power Holders. "We've got four more trouble-makers for you to look after. Shouldn't be too much trouble for a couple of mages, hmm?"

With that, the she-cat flicked her tail and turned to leave, the rest of the guards following her. Shadow looked around at the cavern, trying to see where the precautions meant to keep them inside the tunnel were, and failing. "How do you plan to keep us here?"

"Well, I can manipulate fire, and Mountain here can make barriers where there aren't any," the golden she-cat said, her gaze still a glowing red. Gray realized she must be the one causing the fireballs to float around in the other cavern. "So I trust that none of you would bother trying anything funny."

It seemed like there was no way to escape if what the golden she-cat said was true. Gray heard a frustrated growl from behind her, and she turned to see Hawk, who was looking around the cavern, and lashing his tail. She caught his gaze and stared at him meaningfully. Reluctantly, he relaxed his hackles.

"We might as well catch up on some sleep," Shadow said, assuming leadership. No one seemed to want to argue, so the group curled up on the stone floor, pressed up against stalagmites, and trying to turn their minds away from the day's events. Gray crouched, watching Ember's dark form, and waited until she was sure that the golden she-cat and Mountain were fully immersed in their task so she could creep up to the other tom. In the adjoining cavern, the fires were dimming, and Gray was willing to bet the two were getting tired focusing their minds. As silently as she could, Gray moved forward. Memories flew to the front of her mind about hunting back home in the ShadowClan forest. What she had been hunting had varied, and there some painful points at the forefront of her thoughts concerning the times she'd successfully caught cat.

Ember's head turned, his amber eyes glowing in the dark, and Gray paused against the wall of stone next to the small little niche the black tom was nestled in. "Hey," she whispered.

"What? Decided you needed me after all?" Ember said coolly, the sarcasm in his voice like knives in Gray's flesh. She flinched.

"I . . . apologize. I-I couldn't help myself," Gray said.

"Care to explain?" Ember asked, stretching his forepaws.

Gray took a deep breath, wondering how to explain her curse to Ember. _Hey, I just happen to have an ancient curse that makes me into a rabid, unstoppable killer at random intervals. Maybe we can be friends? _Yeah, this was going to be a great conversation. Gray's eyes narrowed as she thought. Then, something clicked in her mind, and her eyes widened. "Uh, earlier today, when a plant touched me, it became blackish-red with dark energy."

Ember's gaze looked quizzical for a beat, then his amber eyes widened. Along his spine, the dark fur rose. "Y-You have Power? But that's impossible! You're a newcomer!"

Gray shook her head. "I've had ever since I was born in, what's that term you all use, First Life? Anyway, I've been cursed ever since I can remember, and well, it's caused me a lot of grief."

Ember nodded. "I didn't know there was Power in such great quantities in the First World. I can't imagine anyone with Power there would be able to control it. But since you're here now, you should be able to contain it, or use it for your own purposes."

Relief swamped Gray. Was what Ember said really true? She thought about how during the phoenix hunt the red had come after Brindle had fallen off the cliff and Gray had wanted revenge. She had made the red emerge! Fear of herself tingled through every pore of her body. "Th-that's good to know." She frowned upon realizing something. "But . . . in the battle that I died in, the second time I died, there were three cats with powers in the clans at the time. And they could control them! Jayfeather could walk in other cats dreams at will, Lionblaze could never be defeated in battle, and Dovewing could see and hear things other cats couldn't!"

Ember looked at Gray in confusion. "But, that's impossible! There isn't nearly enough Power in the Firs—" Abruptly Ember's voice broke off, and his eyes suddenly grew round.

"What is it?" Gray hissed quietly, turning her head around abruptly to see if either of their guards had noticed them. However, both were still too immersed in their task to notice their hushed conversation.

"No, not them," Ember said, bringing Gray's gaze back to him. "I just, I remembered Sight talking about how there were so few Power Holders left in the Gray World. I think that maybe Power has been seeping from the Gray World into the First World."

"That would explain a lot," Gray said. "Does that mean there are going to be more cats like the three I mentioned?"

"Maybe," Ember said, his gaze narrowing. "After all, there used to be no such thing as a 'newcomer'. Then, one day, they just started popping up. Rarely at first, but more and more frequently as time went on. And now, you see four of them appearing in the span of a day."

"Well, to be fair, there was a huge battle in the clans. StarClan, it feels so long ago," Gray said, reflecting on the moons she'd spent in the Dark Forest quietly waiting for the opportunity to escape. "There's probably a lot more of them all over Gray World."

"Still, four of you popping up in the same relative spot!" Ember exclaimed. "The likelihood of that must be incredibly small! Well, maybe not so much anymore, but . . . still!"

"You've said still twice in a relatively short amount of time," Gray pointed out.

"I know," Ember said, grinning at Gray toothily. A period of silence lasted between them before a low moan suddenly pierced the air. Gray twisted her head, her ears pricking towards the long tunnel on the other side of the cavern that continued on into the darkness.

"What was that?" Gray hissed quietly, her blue eyes widening. Vaguely, she was aware of her hackles rising at the back of her neck.

"Wind, maybe," Ember said. "Who knows where these tunnels go. You could probably get lost if you aren't careful enough. One thing's for sure, those two don't want us going that way. I tried before."

"Maybe there's an exit," Gray said.

"Then why wouldn't Mountain put up a barrier there, too?"

"Maybe it's because there's so many tunnels that the likelihood of finding the exit is tiny. They don't want us to get lost in the tunnels because we're worth something to them."

"Sharp. Maybe you're right," Ember said, looking at Gray with an air of respect.

"Maybe I am. And we should try to investigate," Gray suggested, grinning at the tom.

"Didn't you hear me? You could get lost!"

"Or, we could follow the sound of the wind."

"What if it dies down? What if you take a wrong turn and can't hear it anymore?"

"What, would you rather we just sit on our paws and wait for Sight to determine our fate? I think this might be our only chance," Gray said, the determination in her voice solid and apparent. Ember sighed, knowing he wasn't going to sway her. He crawled to his feet, and fixated Gray with a fierce gaze.

"Alright, fine, but when we get lost, I'm going to say I told you so," he growled.

"Please, be my guest," Gray exclaimed sarcastically. The gray she-cat turned away from him and crept toward the tunnel. Another moan disturbed the air, and Gray couldn't resist shuddering. The wind sounded so alive, like it was in pain. Maybe it was, stuck in the tunnels eternally. The darkness loomed ahead of her, and Gray knew soon she would lose all trace of the golden-furred Power Holder's fire. Then, she and Ember would be plunged into blackness.

When she did reach the last of the light, a gray stroke on the darkness more than anything else, Gray hesitated. Ember bumped into her haunches from behind, and cursed. "Would you hurry it up? When I starve to death, I don't want to be sitting around."

"Ha ha, very funny. I was just listening for the next disturbance of air," Gray said. What she said was partially true, and she didn't want to let Ember know she was terrified. Too late to turn back now . . .

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Gray continued forward, practicing taking as quiet movements as possible. She was a shadow in the dark, unheard and unseen. Gray felt a curl of laughter inside her at thought of how invincible she felt, despite being under tons of rock in a small tunnel within a maze of them. Another moan caused her ears to prick up, and she continued forward.

The coldness that she'd felt before upon first entering the tunnels seemed to harden on her skin, securing its hold. Gray began to felt like she might never feel warmth again, even if she somehow managed to return to the surface. No, the icy cold had seeped deep into her skin, and had latched on with a vengeance. It would never die, not ever.

Despite the increasing cold, Gray was able to stay optimistic. The tunnel began to widen after awhile, and soon, she was walking side by side with Ember, pelts brushing. The warmth radiating off of him kept Gray from snapping under the cool temperatures. Also, the moans were becoming steadily louder, and Gray was confident they would soon reach the entrance. She felt a prickle of guilt for not bringing Hawk, Maple, and Shadow with her, but they probably wouldn't have come anyway. Gray still couldn't believe they'd managed to make this far, either.

Gray paused upon seeing a light up ahead. Her breath caught, and a grin curled across her features. They'd did it, they'd managed to escape! She turned to Ember, about to say a snarky comment when—

"Pleeeeeeeaase, let me _go_!" The chilling statement was followed by a few choked sobs.

That was no wind.

Gray felt Ember stiffen beside her, and Gray felt like cursing. They'd come all this way, only to have followed the cries of a fellow prisoner. Maybe there wasn't any exit at all, and the guards just didn't want their prisoners getting lost forever. Suddenly though, Ember was brushing past her, his fur fluffed out. "Willow!" he shrieked.

The gray she-cat stared gape-mouthed after the tom for a few moments, and then mentally kicked herself forward. The she-cat sprinted after him, darting around a corner into the light-filled chamber he'd disappeared into, and paused in shock at what she saw.

The light was coming from fire on large, stubby-ended sticks stuck into the stone wall with bits of bent metal. Gray felt like wondering at the strange invention with awe, but the scene in the center of the cavern was what had drawn her gaze. A slender, blue-gray she-cat with green eyes was pinned to the ground with large chunks of soft metal holding down her legs. Ember was curled against her, staring at her in amazement and morbid shock.

"Willow, what are you doing here? I thought I led the patrol away from you!"

"I know, but I knew you would get captured, and I had to go after you! They caught up to me with my bad leg and all, and you got away. I see that didn't last for long huh?" Willow said, smiling at Ember weakly.

"You know her?" Gray said, slowly approaching the pair. Willow turned her head around, and regarded Gray with round, surprised eyes.

Ember nodded. "Remember when you first met Sight? She mentioned Willow."

"Of course," Willow hissed, glaring at the thought of the white she-cat. "She wanted to use Ember as a weapon, but I convinced Ember that Sight only thinks for herself. We escaped together."

"Together?" Gray said, raising an eyebrow. She didn't know why, but she felt a sudden prick of jealousy. All of a sudden, she wasn't seen a slender, blue-gray she-cat, but a tortoiseshell one with arrogant amber eyes.

"Yes," Willow said, gazing at Gray with narrowed green eyes. _She knows. _"And now, we have to escape again."

**Woo for cliffies! Yay for updates!**

**Were you ****surprised? Annoyed? Surprised at there being foxes like I said? Annoyed with me for being inconsistent? Do tell!**


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